Combined metal door casing and plaster retaining means



Oct; 2, 1934. e. A. KNAPP 1,975,657

COMBINED METAL DOOR CASING AND PLASTER RETAINING MEANS Filed May 7, 1931 patented Oct. 2, 1934 rarer COMBINED METALDOOR CASING AND PLASTER RETAINING-MEANS George A. Knapp, Chicago, 111., assignor to Knapp Brothers Manufacturing Company,

Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 7, 1931, Serial No. 535,586 7 Claims. (01. 7298) This invention relates to a wall construction adjacent doorways, windows and the like, for buildings. a

In the past, it has been customary to con struct casings of this kind of wood in two or more separate members wherein the jamb or hanging style member to which the door or the look was attached was separated from the trim or finish member, the latter usually being placed '10; in position after the jamb member had been erected and overlapping the joint betweenthe jamb member and the adjacent plaster surface of the wall, thus effectively covering and concealing any cracking of the plaster at that point resulting from shocksincident to closing of the door or the like. a I

With the advent of the use of metal for casings, it has become common practice to form all parts of the casing in one integral form, not separating the jamb member from the trim or finishing member, especially where such casings are used in hospitals or other types of buildings where it is desirable to make the trim plain, without, molding, and flush with the plaster surface of the adjacent wall structure. 7

The danger of cracking the plaster coating adjacent the trim member (shown in the accompanying drawing by reference numeral 5 in Figure 1 and reference numeral 1'7 in Figure 2) has been recognized as a matter requiring serious consideration since the metal is practically devoid of any shock absorbing characteristics and merely transmits the full force of the shock to adjacent coatings of the plaster. v

It is accordingly one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a metalcasing for a door, window or the like embodying means for absorbing shocks incidentto closing of a door or the like against the casing. 40 It is an additional object of the presentinvention to provide a metal casing for a door or the like, and means combined with the casing for distributing the shocks incident upon closing or slamming the door, over a substantial area of the wall plaster coating. r Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means adapted to be embedded in a coating of plaster, forming a part of a wall, for distributing shocks ,over the entire area of the plaster adjacent said means. V

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for absorbing shocks incident to closing or slamming of adoor and at the same time serving as a retainer iforzthe adjacent plaster coatings.

t is also an object of this invention to provide a metal casing for a door or the like having means for retaining the adjacent plaster coating and at the same time absorb shocks incident to closing or slamming the door of the casing, the casing and means being combined to form a unit which may be installed in one piece.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of metal trim for door casings and the like having integral means projecting therefrom for absorbing shocks incident to slamming of the door and to retain the adjacent plaster coating in place.

In carrying out the invention, the metallic casing has secured interiorly thereof one or more corrugated perforated resilient plates extending away from the casing and so arranged that when the plaster coating has been applied to the wall, each plate will .be disposed substantially parallel to the wall intermediate the surfaces of the plaster coating. Each plate extends a substantial distance from the casing and preferably is continuous for the full length of the casing.

Thus the shocks incident to slamming of the door will be transmitted directly to the end of the perforated plate attached to the casing and thence will be distributed throughout the area of the plate embedded in the plaster coating, the distribution being such as to inhibit any tend- 5 ency of the plaster to crack.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

- On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional View showing a double door metallic casing installed in connection with a wall.

Figure 2 is a viewsimilar to Figure 1 showing a single door metallic casing. Y

Figure 3 isa'fragmentary sectional view show- 'ing a detail of the'invention on line III-III of Figure 1. I

' Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the shock absorbing feature of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein the same parts are indicated by the same reference characters, the numeral 1 is applied to the intermediate fireproof wall construction flanked by wall coatings 2 of plaster or the like. A door opening. in the wall is framed by a metallic double door casing 3, reference being hadto Figure 1, the casing 3 being in the form generally of a channel whose flanges 5 have their exposed sursurface of the member 13. will be noted, is not only perforated but is corrufaces 6 substantially flush with the faces 7 of the coatings 2.

A Z-shaped attaching member 8 on each side of the wall includes a flange 9 which is spot welded or secured in any other suitable manner to an intermediate portion of the flange 5, its other and parallel flange 11 and web 10 meeting in spaced relation to the flange and interiorly of the casing 3, openings being provided at the juncture of the web and flange 11 to provide filler holes for the plaster of the coatings 2.

The flange 11 of the attaching member 8 is substantially parallel with the flange 9 and is spot welded or similarly secured to the marginal portion 12 of a shock absorbing and plaster retaining member 13. The member 13 is preferably of thin sheet metal perforated throughout its area as clearly apparent in Figure 4 so that the same is rendered thereby very flexible. The openings 14, of course, have the further function of constituting flller holes so that the formation of air pockets in the coatings 2 is thereby obviated and the coatings will be in contact with the entire The member 13, it

stress is transferred to the member 8 which in turn transfers the stress to the member 13.

The portion of the plaster in the immediate vicinity of the member 13 constitutes with said member a substantially unitary part of the wall coating. It

, will consequently be apparent that the presence of the member 13 prevents the plaster adjacent the same from cracking. It will be understood that the stress due to the slamming of the door is less on the parts of the coating remote from the door casing than it is on parts adjacent thereto. The member 13 projects from the casing a suflicient distance to take care of the greater part of the stress due to slamming, so that the stress on the coating beyond the member 13 is insuflicient to cause cracking of the same.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2, wherein the casing is of the single door type, and is employed in connection with closets and the like, the flanges 1-5 are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the faces 16 of the 3 wall, the flanges having offset curved portions 17 constituting metal trim and having their exposed surfaces substantially flush with the wall coating surfaces 16. It will be apparent that the curved portions 17 have substantially the same function as the marginal portions of the flanges 5 of the construction as shown in Figure 1, namely, to retain the portions of the wall, coatings 18 in position. The flanges 15 are somewhat spaced from the fireproof walls 19, and perforated sheet metal members 26 have marginal portions characteristic enables these members to effect absorption of the shocks incident to slamming of doors and the like.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the construction made in accordance With this invention may be installed as a unit. It is moreover of extremely simple construction, requiring no nails or the like, serves to adequately retain the plaster coating in position, and to prevent cracking of the plaster coating incident to shocks resulting from slamming of the door or the like by absorption of such shocks.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

- 1. Wall construction'including a wall portion flanked by plaster coatings and defining an opening for a door or the like; a metallic door casing for said opening and having flanges substantially flush with the exposed surfaces of the coatings; plates embedded in said coatings and hav-' ing marginal portions permanently united as by welding with said flanges, whereby stresses-incident to slamming of the door are transmitted directly'to said plates and distributed by the latter throughout the plaster adjacent the same, to thereby prevent cracking of the plaster.

2. Wall construction including a wall portion flanked by plaster coatings and defining an opening for a door or the like; a metallic door casing for said opening and having flanges flanking said wall portion, extensions connected to said flanges and having their exposed surfaces substantially flush with the exposed surfaces of the coatings; plates embedded in said coatings and having marginal portions united with said flanges adjacent said extensions, whereby stresses incident to slamming of the door are transmitted directly to said plates and distributed by the latter throughout the plaster adjacent the same, to thereby'prevent cracking of the plaster; said extensions forming with said plates pockets to receive and retain the plaster.

3. Wall construction including a wall portion flanked by plaster coatings and defining an opening fora door or the like; a metallic door casing for said-opening and having flanges flanking said wall portion, extensions connected to said flanges and having their exposed'surfac'es substantially flush with the exposed surfaces of the coatings; plates embedded in said coatings and having marginal portionsunited with said flanges adjacent said extensions, whereby stresses incident to slamming of the door are transmitted directly to said plates and distributed by the latter 135 throughout the plaster adjacent the same, to thereby prevent cracking of the plaster; said plates extending along the wall in spaced relation to the wall portion; said plates being perforated to provide filler holes for preventing 140 the formation of air pockets during the application of the plaster coatings. j H

4. Wall construction including a wall portion flanked by plastercoatings and defining an opening for adoor or the like; a metallic door casing 145 for said opening and having flanges; flanking said'w'all portion; extensions connected to said flanges and having their exposed surfaces substantially flush with the exposed surfaces of the coatings; plates embedded in said coatings and 150 having marginal portions united with said flanges adjacent said extensions, whereby stresses incident to slamming of the door are transmitted directly to said plates and distributed by the latter throughout the plaster adjacent the same, to thereby prevent cracking of the plaster; said plates extending along the wall in spaced relation to the wall portion and being flexible.

5. Wall construction including a plaster coating defining a door opening; a metallic door casing for said opening and having a substantially U-shaped portion extending away from the opening providing a pocket for receiving and retaining the plaster; one arm of the U-shaped portion being embedded in the plaster and having its exposed surface flush with that of the plaster, and the other arm of said portion being flexible and embedded in the plaster between the inner and outer surfaces thereof and serving also as a plaster retaining means, whereby cracking of the plaster adjacent and throughout the extent of the second arm, incident to shocks occasioned by slamming of a door against the casing, will be prevented.

6. Wall construction including a plaster coating defining a door opening, a metallic door casing for said opening, means for preventing cracking of said plaster incidental to shocks occasioned by slamming of a door against said casing, said means comprising a casing flange embedded in said coating and a cooperating flexible member united to said casing inwardly of and spaced from said flange and embedded in said coating intermediate the surfaces thereof and substantially parallel to the surfaces of the coating.

7. A wall construction including a wall portion having a plastic coating and defining a door opening, a metallic door casing for said opening having a flange with its exposed surface flush with the exposed surface of said coating, a flexible plaster reinforcing plate embedded in said coating and having a marginal part integrally united with said casing whereby stresses incidental to slamming the door are transmitted directly to said plate and distributed by it throughout the plaster adjacent the same thereby preventing 'cracking of the plaster, said flange forming with said plate a pocket to receive and retain the plaster.

GEORGE A. KNAPP.

its 

